1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to motor fuel. In one aspect, the invention relates to the use of a mixture of etherified phenols as octane improvers for motor fuel while in another aspect, the invention relates to manufacturing the mixture from shale oil.
2. Description of the Art
For years the petroleum industry relied upon the additive tetraethyllead and other alkyl lead compounds as a means for imparting high anti-knock qualities to gasoline. However, due to environment considerations these additives are being continually deemphasized and the industry has been continually searching for alternatives. Many such alternatives have been developed with the alcohols and ethers, such as methanol and methyl t-butyl ether, being representative. These materials have been found to increase the octane number of gasoline and have gained a fair degree of acceptance to one degree or another. However, the present costs and availability of these additives provide impetus to continue the search for new additives.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,342 to Shang et al. teaches the use of phenolic alkyl ethers in combination with substituted phenols as a gasoline additive to improve octane number. Wartime Report ARR-E6B14 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics discloses that anisole and other ethers are useful octane improvers for gasoline.